MANILA – National Security Adviser Eduardo SL Oban Jr. on Friday dismissed reports that Chinese scholars are claiming Batanes belongs to China, stressing that the province is an integral part of the Philippines.

In a statement, Oban said the reported claim has no legal or factual basis and warned against the spread of false narratives that could create confusion over Philippine territory.

“We view with serious concern reports that Chinese scholars are advancing the notion that Batanes belongs to China.”

“There is no ambiguity on this matter: Batanes is an integral and indivisible part of the Republic of the Philippines.”

Oban said the claim “has no merit,” but emphasized that the government remains vigilant against efforts to manufacture uncertainty over issues that are already settled.

“The claim that Batanes belongs to China has no merit. But from a national security perspective, we cannot ignore how false narratives can be repeated to manufacture ambiguity where none exists.”

The National Security Adviser linked the issue to the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, saying the ruling serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding the country’s territory, people, and future.

“The Award reminds us of what is at stake when baseless narratives are allowed to harden into claims, claims are used to justify presence, and presence is used to normalize coercion. That is why we will not allow manufactured history to become manufactured rights, nor a fabricated dispute to take root over what is unquestionably ours.”

Oban said the Philippines has learned from past experiences involving unfounded territorial claims and would not allow similar narratives to gain ground.

“Ten years after the Arbitral Award, we know how false claims begin, and we will not allow them to take root. Batanes is, and will always remain, an integral and indivisible part of the Republic of the Philippines. There is no dispute to settle, no claim to negotiate, and no ambiguity to resolve.”